London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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West Ham 1949

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]

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Admissions.

West HamExtra-District.
Totally deaf52East Ham
1Ilford
8Essex
1L.C.C.
Partially deaf31East Ham
2Essex
1Barking
Leavers.
Totally deaf22
Partially deaf-2

It is of the utmost importance that children who are deaf should commence
education at the special school at as early an age as possible.
Fyfield Residential Open-Air School.
During the year 120 West Ham boys and 73 West Ham girls were admitted, and 102
West Ham boys and 80 West Ham girls were discharged. Twenty three extra-district boys
and 18 extra-district girls were admitted and 30 boys and 23 girls were discharged. The
West Ham children are re-inspected a few months after they leave Fyfield to ascertain
if their improvement has been maintained. Of the 172 who attended for examination, 148
showed continued improvement, but 24 children had not maintained their condition and
were given the opportunity of having a further stay at the school. During the year
the Chief Assistant School Medical Officer made monthly visits, with the exception of
August. The number of re-inspections carried out at these visits during the year under
review was 1,464 being 773 boys and 691 girls.
NURSERY SCHOOLS AND CLASSES. The Authority has had two nursery schools - the
Rebecca Cheetham Nursery School in the north of the Borough and the Edith Kerrison
Nursery School in the south, for many years. In October of this year, the Osborne
Road Day Nursery was transferred to the Education Committee and became a Nursery School under
supervision by the School Health Service. The children at nursery schools are examined
quarterly, and those at Osborne Road Nursery School were examined in October and December.
The following particulars relate to the examination of nursery school children:-
Number examined Individual children found defective Percentage defective
646 89 13.8

Using the Ministry of Education classification of general condition, the figures for the three nursery schools are as follows:-

Number examinedGoodPercentageFairPercentagePoorPercentage.
64633251.429345.2213.2

Children attend these schools between the ages of 2 and 5 years, a period during
which defects commonly make their appearance, and when, consequently, most can be done to
prevent them. It is for this reason that medical inspections are carried out much more
frequently than at other schools. The School Nurse also visits the schools frequently,
so far as practicable, once a week. The defects which are most frequently found at these
inspections are bronchitis and catarrhal conditions of the upper respiratory passages, and
enlarged tonsils and adenoids. In addition to the three nursery schools, there are five
nursery classes held at the following schools - Carpenters, Gainsborough, New City, Grove
County Primary (Salway Place) and Tollgate. Every endeavour is made to carry out medical
inspections on the same basis as at the nursery schools. The following figures relate to
the medical inspections at these classes:-
63